Behind the smiles and laughter of the kids in our summer camps are committed and passionate people.
Director of Day Camps and Director of Camp YMCA Kanawana respectively, Jennifer and Kate are dedicated to making the YMCA camps caring, inclusive, and safe places where kids and teens can thrive and let their personalities shine outside of the school setting.
Kate Taylor (Alias Wawa) and Jennifer Pelletier (Alias Cactus)
Fall is dedicated to budget planning. November to our summer marketing strategies and professional development (best practices training). Then comes our recruitment period during which we call back former employees and hire new ones.
In January and February, registration begins and continues until the start of camp. Spring is the most intensive time as it includes operations planning, logistics, purchasing, cleaning, and vehicle rentals. During this period, we also answer numerous questions from parents or guardians and ensure that employees, many of whom come from outside Quebec, are properly on-boarded.
And then, camp starts!
Kate and Jennifer agree: “Youth are transformed at camp. It’s incredible to see how much they progress in just two weeks. Funny fact: kids often arrive in tears, scared of this new experience, only to also leave in tears, but this time because they are so sad to say goodbye to all the new friends they made.”
Thank you Cactus and Wawa for your passion and dedication!